Black Keys among top winners in Music City’s big night at the Grammys

Click here for a photo gallery from the 55th Grammy Awards ceremonies. Here, Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach of musical group The Black Keys perform on stage at the 55th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)

LOS ANGELES — Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney — roots-rock duo The Black Keys — won three trophies, and Auerbach garnered a fourth on his own in a momentous night for Nashville music of all stripes at Sunday’s 55th Grammy Awards.

Auerbach won more Grammys than any other artist of the evening, and the Keys’ three trophies matched Kings of Leon’s haul of three years ago.

Auerbach and Carney moved to Nashville from Akron, Ohio, in 2010, quickly integrating themselves into the music community, and using the city as home base for recording current album “El Camino” and other projects. Auerbach’s acumen in the studio led to a best producer Grammy, and Dr. John’s Auerbach-produced “Locked Down” won a best blues album Grammy on Sunday.

“Thank you, everyone in Music City, for welcoming us,” Auerbach said upon receiving the best rock album prize for “El Camino.”

“Nashville, Tennessee is a wonderful place.”

Music City performances

The musical portion of that wonder was on apparent display at the show, which featured an unprecedented number of performances from Nashville-affiliated artists.

“They’ve been calling Nashville ‘Music City’ for a long, long time,” said songwriter Josh Kear, who penned best country song winner “Blown Away,” a smash hit for Underwood, with Chris Tompkins. (The two also collaborated on “Before He Cheats,” which won the best country song Grammy five years ago.) “But I think what you’re seeing now is people starting to understand the full scope of what’s going on in that city, from the classical music being made there to all the genres that have done well today.”

Underwood’s recording of “Blown Away” also won the best country solo performance Grammy, triumphing in a category that included music from Bentley, Hayes, Blake Shelton, Ronnie Dunn and Eric Church.

Little Big Town, the group that won two Country Music Awards in November after 12 years of country music industry struggle, won the country duo/group performance prize for “Pontoon.” It was Little Big Town’s first Grammy victory, after five nominations.

“You always hope they’re going to call your name, but when you’re in a category with Taylor Swift, often they’re not going to call your name,” said Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild. “This is pivotal for us.”

While Swift’s “Safe & Sound” collaboration with Nashville duo The Civil Wars didn’t win the duo/group Grammy, it did win as top song written for visual media. Swift and John Paul White and Joy Williams of The Civil Wars wrote “Safe & Sound” with T Bone Burnett, for film “The Hunger Games.” Swift has long been a vocal supporter of The Civil Wars, something White joked about at the winner’s podium after the superstar thanked he and Williams.

'We sell dreams'

Nashvillian Janis Ian first strode to the Nokia Theater podium to announce the classical category winners during the pre-telecast. She returned to collect her second career Grammy, for the audiobook version of “Society’s Child: My Autobiography.” Ian was first Grammy nominated as a teenager, and she won a Grammy in 1975 for “At Seventeen.” “Society’s Child: My Autobiography” won out over projects from Bill Clinton, Michelle Obama, Rachel Maddow and Ellen DeGeneres.

“To say this is a stunning upset would be an understatement,” she said. “I keep thinking there’s a punch line here somewhere. ‘An ex-president, a first lady and three lesbians walk into a bar.’”

“I got my first Grammy nomination at the age of 15,” Ian continued.

“I remember a board member backstage saying, ‘If we could only get some radio coverage.’ For better or worse, I have watched my business become an industry..... One thing remains the same. We do not sell music, we sell dreams.”

Kelly Clarkson accepts the award for best pop vocal album for "Stronger" at the 55th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)

Blanton Alspaugh, a graduate of DuPont High School and Tennessee Tech and a former Cumberland County High School band and choir director, won the classical producer of the year award for his work with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, The Oregon Symphony, The Wolf Trap Opera Company and others. It was the fifth classical producer nomination of Alspaugh’s career.

Middle Tennessee mainstay Toby McKeehan, who performs and records as TobyMac, won his second Grammy as a solo artist when his “Eye On It” was announced as the best contemporary Christian album. Touring commitments kept McKeehan from the awards show: He performed in Nashville Saturday, and in Atlanta on Sunday.

Atlanta-based Lecrae’s “Gravity” was named best gospel album.
“I do hip-hop that goes against the grain,” he said. “It’s not misogynistic. I’m not killing anybody. Every song that I do is filtered through a spiritual lens.”

Bonnie Raitt’s “Slipstream,” which includes contributions from Nashvillians including George Marinelli, Bonnie Bishop and Gary Nicholson, won the Americana album prize. And the Grammy for top bluegrass album went to Steep Canyon Rangers, for an album co-produced by Gary Paczosa.

“People like that this kind of music is organic,” said Steep Canyon Rangers mandolin player Mike Guggino. “It’s real musicians, playing real, wooden, stringed instruments.”

Raitt noted the prominent wins and nominations for artists whose sounds are drawn from American roots music traditions. The Black Keys, Jack White, top album winner Mumford & Sons and many other major players at this year’s awards show are rooted in blues, folk, country, rock and soul.

“I think great music just rises to the top,” Raitt said. “Great music and great melodies and people that mean it, it’s really refreshing when it comes around again. Americana has really come into its own.”

Reach Peter Cooper at 615-259-8220 or pcooper@tennessean.com.

Top winners at the 55th Grammy Awards

Record of the Year: “Somebody That I Used to Know,” Gotye featuring Kimbra